Organizational Media Futures is a blog on the evolving nature of media technologies and organizational change. Students and faculty contribute to this blog as members of the Cal State East Bay Media Futures Group, a nonprofit think tank emphasizing foresight as a critical tool for creating sustainable initiatives local and global.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Group Driving Forces

Thu-Cuc NguyenCritical uncertainty:The automobile industry will shift its production to produce only hybrid cars.

Predetermined elements:1. Rising gas price. We only have limited natural resources and if shifting toward hybrid cars meaning we would cut down on fuel consumption.2. Hybrid car would be environmentally friendly and it pollutes up to 90% fewer emissions than regular cars.

Steve Dzung Phama: More Americans are abandoning the land phone line in favor of cellular phones. Will telecoms re-organize their business models to cater to this trend. Will the carriers work harder in conjunction with hardware (ATT and Apple) to bring more features to raise profits? Will the FCC intervene with anti-trust issues?

How will the U.S. shift its policy to the new changes in the power structure of Europe. Will traditional allies like France, Italy, and Germany voice their concerns with the re-alignment in allies? Will countries like Russia, Iran, or Turkey rise to be power brokers in their respective regions?

Joan ThachPredetermined Element: I want to fix the way everyone communicate with each other nowadays. For instance, it seems like everyone's relationships aren't like they use to be. We have online communities now such as myspace, friendster, and face book. Long time ago, we use to visit people with our cars or call them on the phone. Now we just visit them online without them knowing. We send messages without showing full meaning in person. we can even misread the messages.

Critical Uncertainty: What is going to be next challenge we are going to face about communicating with each other? Are we going to eventually never see each other in person? Is the next communication challenge just going to be on solely on the computer without ever having to leave home to run errands, visit family and friends, going to school, etc?

Chris StroudCritical Uncertainty:The United States will need to increase its standards for education to compete in a global economy. It’s not known yet whether or not other future super powers will base their economy on industrialization or innovation. I believe for if we want to remain competitive in the global economy we must focus on education and thus increase our innovativeness and knowledge workers.

Predetermined Elements:As our society learns more and more we become begin to live longer and longer. How will this affect the family structure? What if at one time a family will have 4-5 generations living at one time?